While the waste directives seemed something that isn't going to happen anytime soon, new e-commerce regulations will probably strongly impact underground culture too.
https://ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/eu-parliament-makes-e-commerce-platforms-liable-for-imports-in-customs-reform/1249923* E-commerce platforms sending parcels from outside EU directly to EU consumers will be treated as responsible importers
* New handling fee for goods ordered directly from non-EU countries to come into effect on 1 November 2026 at the latest
* EU-wide IT system called Data Hub to replace more than 111 current systems
New EU customs authority to be established in Lille
On Wednesday, MEPs approved a major reform of the EU Customs Code that introduces stricter rules for e-commerce and establishes a new customs authority.
The new rules establish a handling fee for each item bought from non-EU web shops and sent directly to EU consumers. This will help cover the ever-increasing cost of managing the avalanche of individual parcels. The handling fee will be paid by the same entity responsible for paying other customs charges for the same parcel, to avoid shifting the cost to consumers. The exact amount of the handling fee will be determined by the European Commission and will be revised every two years to keep it proportional to the actual costs. Member states will start collecting the fee at the latest from 1 November 2026.
I would suspect that many smaller webstores will shut down EU orders, since it may not be economical or possible to program stores to charge automatically all the fees that should be applied. Already now I noticed UK label mention couriers would not take packages to carry unless all these things are paid in advance.
I have my doubts if someone who runs webstore OUTSIDE EU, is willing to join into system to pay taxes & fees into another country or even continent. I have had hard time explaining people that even I have to pay taxes to all different EU countries where I sell, and now this starts to apply also non-EU dealer who wish to sell direct to EU citizen. I would suspect shipping small orders/items outside EU will be completely pointless after all fees are added.
TOTAL underground publishers, who still send as gift, don't pay taxes etc, impact to them might happen in other ways. Especially when whole aim of this change is to favor big import, storaging goods within EU, etc reducing small import and private micro business will certainly have some side-effects of this process.
